Metallurgical furnace



April 20, 1943.

D. CABARROCAS Y AYALA 2,317,252

METALLURGICAL FURNACE Filed April 21, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 [/V VE N TOP A f TOR/V5.7

April v1943 D. CABARROCAS Y AYALA 2,317,252

METALLURGICAL FURNACE v Filed April 21, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I [N VE N TO/P I p zfwtad @a/Td 05 97 ya Arm/ways Patented Apr. 20, 1943 David Cabarrocas y Ayala, Habana, Cuba Application April 21', 1941', Serial No. 389,668 In Cuba April 4', 194-1 1 Claim.- (CL 13--23) This invention refers to metallurgical furnaces,

and has for its principal object to provide improvements in such furnaces based on the wellknown physical principle that water maintains its maximum temperature, that of ebullition at 100 deg. C., at which state its vaporization takes place,

In my invention I use a metallurgical furnace body or crucible which, instead of the usual refractory materials, is made of manganese steel plate, or other suitable material, offering the ad vantage of non-deterioration of the furnace body no matter how high the workingtemperature, even though surpassing 3,000: deg. C. This is obtained by the refrigeration supplied by boiling water which circulates through a jacket or chamber exterior to and surrounding the crucible or furnace body.

Another object of my invention is to utilize the water vapor arising from the ebullition of the refrigerating water, as motive power, in a steam boiler associated with the furnace.

Additional objects and advantages of my invention shall be disclosed hereinbelow, especially by persons versed in the art and with the aid of the figures of the appended drawings wherein like reference characters designate like parts in the different views.

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a lateral elevation of the furnace object of the present invention, and of a boiler associated therewith;

Fig. 2 is an upper plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a diametral vertical section, along line 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a detailed cross-section, to enlarged scale, along lin 4--4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a detailed view along the lower part or discharg opening of the furnace;

Fig. 6 is a partial cross-section, in detail, showing electrically operated means of firing the charge;

Fig. '7 is a diametral vertical section showing a modified form of my invention; and,

Fig. 8 is a partial sectional view, in detail, of a new form of electrically operated firing means for the charge.

By reference to Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive will be seen that l refers to an upright supporting structure made up of metal beams and secured to the foundation by concret piers 2. The upper part of this structure sustains the crucible or furnace body 3, secured thereto by angle irons 4, said body being made of manganese steel plate or other suitable material and affecting the shape of double cones joined by their bases.

connecting to an inclined feed conduit 8 provided with a hopper 9 and through which is incorporated a gate l0 slidable between guides 10, as detailed in Fig. 4, hinged to the extremity of one of the arms of an angular lever H pivotally mounted on a support 12 and operable by a hanging rod l3articulatedto the other arm of said lever ll. and provided with retaining'teeth' [3", said rod being mounted on a support l4 secured to frame or structure I.

The crucible or furnace body 3 is inclosed in a water recipient, also closed, IS, the lower part whereof has the same form as said furnace or crucible and extends in the form of a boiler shell upwards therefrom, surrounding conduit 6, which in that part whereof that projects beyond said,

recipient I5 is provided with a butterfly valve l6 operable by hand lever 11;

Upper part of vessel 15' is provided with a level gauge l8, pressure gauge l9 and whistle valve'20;

In the upper part or top of recipient or vessel [5 it isprovided an outlet steam pipe 2| with bypass valve 22, and on the opposite side a water inlet pipe 23, with its valve 24.

As detailed in Figs. 1 and 5 the furnace or crucible discharge opening 3 is closed by a gate 25 pivoted at 26 at the bottom of recipient l5 and provided with a hand lever 21, being slidable held by bracket 28.

The operation of this device is as follows:

The material to be treated is fed through hopper 9 and conduit 8 toward the center of crucible or furnace 3, such feed being regulated by means of gate l0 operated by rod I3. In the meantime water feed through pipe 23 shall be maintained by holding valve 24 open, thus filling recipient I 5 to the desired level.

Having done this the material to be treated shall be fired, as required. For instance, if aluminum ore, a ball of magnesium shall be used due to the thermo-chemical affinity of both bodies, said ball being introduced into the furnace or crucible 3 through conduit 8 keeping gate l0 open, instantly producing a high temperature that shall cause fusion of the material; but this temperature, tempered by the refrigerating effect of theboiling water in vessel l5 cannot cause the deterioration or damage of crucible or furnace 3, which is one of the great drawbacks at present Laterally, along the line ofjunction of the cone bases there is an aperture 1 inherent in devices of this nature made of refractory material.

The material, once treated, is to be regulatably discharged through mouth 5 by opening gate operated by lever 27. Combustion gases escape through opening 6, regulated by gate l6 operated 0y lever 11; and the steam generated by vaporization of boiling water will exhaust through pipes 2! while valve 22 is open. This steam can be used as source of power in the most suitable manner In Fig. 3, in the dashed line, and in Fig. 6, in detail, is shown the manner of effecting the firing of the material to be treated, employing two electrodes 29 mounted through sleeves 31] provided in the lower part of the furnace or crucible along the discharge throat 5 thereof and fitted with conductors 3| the formation of the electric are occurring as usual when closing the circuit.

In this design of furnace or crucible the fusion of treated material is obtained continuously, no matter how high the degree of fusion; and at the same time the heat developed in the operation is utilized almost completely in the mass of cooling water, and subsequently applied for motive power, as required.

Fig. '7 shows a modified form of the invention within the same basic principles. This figure shows a concrete supporting base 32 seating a recipient 33 the inner wall whereof is common to that of a furnace or crucible 34 made of manganese steel or other suitable material and which extends upwardly thereof being closed by a lid 33' to which are secured flues 35 the lower ends whereof are secured to sheet 34' forming the upper part of crucible or furnace 34. At the top recipient 33 ends in a dome or cupola 36 provided with a throat for the issue of combustion gases 31. Connected to this cupola and interiorly of recipient 33 is a counterweight valve 33.

the upper part of entrance 32' in base 32 and having its motion limited by retaining projections As may be readily grasped the operation of this modified form of the apparatus is in all respects the same as that formerly described, except that the furnace or crucible is here associated with a multitubular boiler.

Lastly, Fig. 8 illustrates another form of ignition means for electric current used for effecting the combustion of the material to be treated within the furnace or crucible, showing only one of the electrodes, it being understood that the other will be oppositely mounted for the formation of the usual electric arc. The electrode consists of a tube of copper or other metal bent into an U, 48, mounted through an aperture 49 in the wall of the outside recipient and of the furnace or crucible which shall be provided with lining 50 of porcelain and of a connecting block 5|, the corresponding conductor being shown by 52 Through this tubular electrode refrigerating water circulates, and, therefore, with this type of electrode the possible accidental fusion which is very frequent in electrodes of other types, cannot occur. Consequently, this is the preferred form in the present invention.

Whether electrodes of the type described herein, or others, are used in this invention, the necessary or desired numbers of pairs of electrodes may be installed at different levels in the furnace or crucible.

I claim:

In a metallurgical furnace in which a water chamber is formed between inner and outer Walls, sleeves of refractory material extending through said walls, an electrode arranged within each sleeve and composed of a metal tube bent in U- shape, means for circulating cooling Water through said tube and means for passing an electric current through said tube whereby an arc may be formed between electrodes in the tubes, said means including a connecting block having openings through which the side portions of the adjacent U-shaped tubes are arranged and said block being also arranged to abut the outer edge of the adjacent refractory sleeve so as to seal the sleeve.

DAVID CABARROCAS Y AYALA. 

